Grand Rapids Brings Awareness To Mental Health For May

From art displays to workshops, Grand Rapids is dedicating May to mental health in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.

The town will be hosting various events to bring awareness. This weekend, they held their sixth annual Stomp On Stigma 5K, which raises money for their local non-profits that deal with mental illness. This year, organizers with the walk also gave out two fall scholarships to the Itasca Community College. The 5K usually sees about 350 people participate each year.

Mental health therapist Jollene Latvala says, “Every year, we donate to five or six agencies that work with children, families and adults. Every year’s a little bit different.”

The National Alliance Against Mental Illness in Grand Rapids is the group that helps plan the entire month. A few of their upcoming events include a meeting about behavioral health homes, a kids and parents art session about mental health and a walk for wellness happening at the end of the month.

Lynette Schmidt, another mental health therapist, says, “I mean, mental health impacts, I would say 1 in 4 people is our statistic that we have, will deal with a mental illness in any given year, but then if you think about looking at a loved one or someone that you know, I would say most of us know someone who’s struggling with mental illness.”

The full calendar of events is as follows:

Sat. April 28 – “Hope for Recovery” workshop. FREE workshop providing information, hope and strategies for dealing with the complexities of mental illness. 9:00-3:00, Community Presbyterian Church, 703 N. Pokegama Ave., Grand Rapids (Room 102). Register at: http://www.namihelps.org/classes.html

Wed. May 2 – “Building Healthy Minds and Families” (Kootasca/Invest Early and Kiesler Partnership). Free educational event with dinner, prizes, child care provided if pre-registered at (218) 326-5114 by April 23. 5:00-7:30 at Kiesler Wellness Center, behind Walmart.

Fri. May 4 – “Youth Mental Health First Aid”, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital, 1601 Golf Course Rd, Grand Rapids. FREE course. Learn the basic first aid skills needed to help a young person experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. Register at: http://www.namihelps.org/classes.html

Sat. May 5 – Stomp on Stigma 5K Run/Walk sponsored by Children’s Mental Health Services, 10 am, IRA Civic Center. $20 early registration, $25 on site, age 9 and under free. Proceeds to area helping agencies.

Wed. May 9 – Sam Miltich and Friends Concert—“The Improvised Life: Exploring the Intersections of Mental Health and Creativity Through Jazz”. Music and stories of living with mental illness. 7:30-9:00 pm, Reif Performing Arts Center (Ives Theater). Tickets at Reif Box Office – donations welcomed.

Tues. May 15 – NAMI Education Meeting: “Behavioral Health Homes”. Lisa Carsrud, Northland Counseling Center, will talk about this exciting new service in our area. 6:30-7:30 at the Kiesler Wellness Center (behind Walmart).

Tues. May 22 – Children’s First (FRED) Event. Reading and art activity for kids and a parent session on mental wellness. Community Café dinner and free kid’s book provided. 4:30-6:30, Kiesler Wellness Center (behind Walmart).

Thurs. May 24 – May Mental Health “Walk for Wellness”. Assemble at the YMCA Parking Lot (East Entrance) between 11-11:30 am. Walk begins at 11:30 and ends with a free community meal at the Kiesler Wellness Center (behind Walmart). All are welcome!

Month of May – Art display by Kiesler Wellness Center members at Brewed Awakenings, 24 NE 4^th St., Grand Rapids

Sponsors: Mental Health Education Fund at the Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation, Northland Counseling Center, Children’s Mental Health Services, Itasca County Public Health, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Grand Rapids Area), Kootasca, Invest Early, Northhomes, Stenlund Psychological, Fairview Foundation